cafe Pellicola - window to fine italian cinema

Stories about the common man emphasizing social issues, scenes shot in actual locations, and the use of non-professional actors – are the key ingredients of the Neorealist film movement in postwar Italy, which this film is one of its prominent expressions.

Directed by Vittorio De Sica and adapted for the screen by Cesare Zavattini based loosely on the novel by Luigi Bartolini, the film tells a simple story. A man’s bicycle gets stolen and he looks for them. No wonder De Sica had difficulties to finance the film. You might say it’s a film about nothing.

Yet, there is so much more.

De Sica vividly paints a reality of dire economic conditions with consistent use of crowds in various contexts; fighting to get a job in the opening scene, in an endless line at the bus station, leaving a stadium, and waiting for a piece of bread at the church. Everything seems like a huge struggle. So against this backdrop of rough settings, even the sense of finally finding a job comes with a catch. Antonio, played beautifully by Lamberto Maggiorani, needs to have a bicycle in order to get the job. His wife (Lianella Carell) figures out a way to get back their pawned bicycle and off he goes on his first day on the job.

The scene of swarms of morning commuters either on bicycles, on foot or on overflowing buses pans nicely to Antonio’s facial expression of pride of being able to provide for his family – is very strong. Against all odds he overcame all obstacles and found a way to make a living.

Finding a job, and figuring out a way to keep it are key elements De Sica uses in order to substantiate the buildup of the accomplishment and the earth shattering sensation when this precious locomotive is being stolen the next day, thus crumbling Antonio’s aspirations for a better future. Emotions of deep haplessness and loneliness bring out powerful performances from father and son – two non-professional actors that could have probably experienced such predicaments in their personal lives.

Antonio and his son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) are then thrown into an impossible quest of finding the bicycle somewhere around Rome. The father-son relationship throughout this journey is a rare examination of weighing priorities; finding the bicycles, the key to survival or recognizing the son’s needs as extenuated in the river scene.

The message of the film is clear. No matter how low you sink, the unconditional bonds you have with your loved ones should override any external threats.

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A lot has been written about Italy’s prominent, yet controversial film director, poet and journalist Pier Paolo Pasolini. This documentary film by Philo Bregstein offers a rare glimpse into the tumultuous life of Pasolini until his still unresolved murder circumstances in 1975.

Rare, because the film was made six years after Pasolini’s death and so his memory is still fresh in the accounts of the people interviewed, which helps paint a much richer picture about the man, his background, personality, perspectives and the mystery behind his death.

The film showcases interviews with dignitaries such as Italy’s important poet Alberto Moravia that helps us place Pasolini’s in history. Moravia underscores his significance by talking about most poets before Pasolini came from the right and focused on aggrandizing Italy’s rich history. Pasolini was the first poet with left views that lamented the decline of Italian society, especially in the early 60’s where mass consumerism like television, he believed, contaminated the basic virtues of the simple people and their genuine cultures. That’s why Pasolini beyond being openly gay (a scandalous affair in those days), was attracted to the proletarians in the underworld of the Roman borgate. In this sense, Moravia believes Pasolini’s death was simply an accident that derives from his penchant for violent relationships as depicted in his two novels Ragazzi di vita (Boys of Life) and Una vita violenta (A Violent Life).

The film also brings actress Laura Betti (appeared in several of Pasolini’s films) that fought hard with the Italian justice system to find out what exactly happened that night. Her account suggests a reality that perceived Pasolini - because of his radical views and sexual preference – as a public threat and often times used him as scapegoat. He was brought to trial 33 times, yet acquitted every single time.

I especially liked the interview with renowned film director Bernardo Bertolucci that goes back to the early days of their friendship. Pasolini invited Betolucci to be his assistant in his first film Accatone, which tells the hardships of Pasolini’s friends - the boys from the Roman slums, but using his signature heroic ambiance. The way Betolucci tells it both he and Pasolini never had any cinematic experience, so every scene was practically an historic invention in the making. Betolucci poignantly concludes that Pasolini’s murder was probably some kind of crucifixion against a genius, caught in a wrong period. The film aptly ends with the heroic crucifixion scene in Pasolini’s The Gospel According To St. Matthew (1964).

Pasolini was murdered in 1975 by Giuseppe Pelosi, a 17-year-old hustler, which initially confessed for committing the crime. Yet, in 2005 he retracted his confession claiming that he was under threats to his family by three strangers with southern Italian accents who had committed the murder. The investigation was reopened, but then closed alleging the new elements as still insufficient.

And in Pasolini’s words:

“The mark which has dominated all my work is this longing for life, this sense of exclusion, which doesn’t lessen but augments this love of life.” (Interview in documentary, late 1960s)

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Where have you been during winter 1946?

Since some of us would likely say - nowhere, here is a time capsule from that period in Rome, right after WW2 is over. The American GI’s are still in town and the people wake up into the rough realities of making a living in a battered economy.

The film is a fine example of a lighter take on the neorealism genre, borrowing from the success of its emblematic predecessor - Roma Citta Aperta by Roberto Rossellini, made a year earlier. In fact, both Marcello Pagliero, the director of this film, and Nando Bruno – both played in Roma Citta Aperta.

The film uses themes of daily hardships in a much lighter tone, illustrating variety of characters that coincide one rainy night in an intricate plot that moves a pearl necklace from hand to hand.

From Andrea Checchi, who contemplates suicide over the departure of his treacherous girlfriend (Marisa Merlini), the struggling typist (Valentina Cortese) who can’t pay her rent and opts to street life, the petty thief with a good heart (Nando Bruno). And the dignified minister who lost his memory and keeps asking everyone “do you recognize me?” played beautifully by Vittorio de Sica. Friendships are formed quickly to navigate the criminal elements the night summons. Only at dawn the picture becomes clearer as things are never like they initially seem. That’s where the film extra title comes handy - La Notte Porta Consiglio - The Night Gives Wisdom.

This plot is supported by an endless chain of cigarette-smoking, alcohol/espresso-drinking, you would recognize the theme song composed by maestro Nino Rota. He then reused it in Fellini’s “I Vitelloni.” The music veers from a somber pessimistic flair to a whimsical, comic tone with a promise that no matter what, things will eventually work out fine.

Looking through another prism, with today’s Internet gold rush ignited by twenty something entrepreneurs – this film too was created from nothing by twenty something pioneers with a burning fire to explore the new medium. In fact, this is Pagliero’s first film. It didn’t find major success, but nevertheless it’s a fantastic gem with all the time-specific trappings of people, challenges, culture and Rome before its piazzas were transformed into car garages…

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This is the last film of Fellini’s second triliogy that started with La Strada (1954) and Il Bidone (1955). A trilogy dedicated to themes of people living on the margins of society (street dancer, swindler and a prostitute) that despite their rough lives eventually experience radical life change, call it redemption.

In this film, Fellini brings back Cabiria, the prostitute with the heart of gold played beautifully by his wife Giulietta Masina. Fellini has already presented us with the role of Cabiria in his 1952 film The White Sheik. There Cabiria is consoling poor Ivan at the piazza late at night after he lost hope of finding his wife.

After the dismal reviews both critically and in the box office for his previous film Il Bidone (1952), Fellini comes back two years later with the proposal of The Nights of Cabiria and receives the cold shoulder everywhere he turns. Practically, the film is about a life of a prostitute in Rome – a tough sell in 1950’s Italy. The film was eventually produced by the one and only - Dino de Laurentiis.

The film tells the story of Cabiria a Roman prostitute with an intricate personality. On one hand she’s the tough street-smart taking no pimp to manage her affairs, constantly bragging about her independence, owning her own home. On the other, she’s very fragile, naïve and desperately romantic who really wants to change her life.

Throughout the film Fellini shows us how swindlers take advantage of Cabiria; the film opens when she was thrown into the Tiber river after being mugged, and then another shady type named Oscar is fooling her with the illusion of a true love only to rob her of all her life savings.

Interestingly, there is one scene in the film that was just recently added since the church objected to include it in the original release. The scene is known as The Man with the Sack, showing a man with a big sack going from one cave to another, giving out food for the poor residents of these makeshift shelters. The church objection rationale is clear – that should have been the church role.

Another scene, shows Cabiria visiting a sacred place with her friends where they all pay their dues for a chance to be redeemed and have a life changing experience. After the service is over, during which Cabiria was deeply moved – there is a lovely scene where Cabiria and her friends are having a picnic and Cabiria suddenly realizes that nobody has really changed they’re all the same including the cripple who joined them.

Fellini provides us with a clear message about the role of the church that operates as a dream machine or some kind of lottery where you pay a ticket for a chance to win a better life. But as we know odds are slim. Cabiria’s friends accept that logic, but not Cabiria who sees through it all and in a way is asking for a refund.

The primary message of the film is simple, yet powerful. You would think that after Cabiria has been duped so many times, human trust is practically non-existent – she would break down. Yet, Fellini existential and optimistic view, shows us that redemption does not rely on external sources, but is coming from within oneself.

Simply put, YOU control your emotional climate and destination.

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